Method of making soles for turned shoes



' A. A. SOMERVILLE.

METHOD OF MAKING SOLES FOR TURNED SHOES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1917.

. 1 405 453. I Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

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memes or alarm 'SOLES" Fort 1'.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBnRrA. Semis VILLE, a citizen of the United States, re sidin at Flushing, L. I., county of Queens and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Soles for Turned Shoes, of Which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to vulcanized rubber soles for use in the manufacture of turned shoes, the sole being of that type in which the stitch-receiving portion of the sole consists of a marginal rib reinforced by a sheath of fabric which extends across the surface of the rib and sole. In the manufacture of turned shoes with soles of the type in question, the upper in reversed position is attached to the sole by stitches which are run laterally through the marginal rib. The upper is then turned inside out which brings the seam inside of the shoe.

It is desirable, and necessary in the better class of shoes, that the stitches in the upper do not vary in height relative to the sole; and in the use of soles of the type in question this has been found difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish, because the sewing machine employed for attaching the sole 30 to the upper has a curved stitch-locating awl or needle and the latter has a tendency to penetrate the marginal rib mld-wayof its height and sometime to pass through the rib at an angle and not from side to side.

It is the object of this invention to provide a sole of the type in question so formed as to compel the stitch locating member'of the sewing machine to place the stitches not only evenly and in line but substantially at the base of the marginal rib, a further object of the invention being to provide a method of making the sole. 7 I The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 1s a cross-sectional view of a sole made in accordance with the invention, the

stitch locating member of the sewing ma-- glnal rib of substantially rectangular cross chine being diagrammatically shown.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sole, partly in section. I

Figs. 8 and 4 illustrate the method of manufacturing the sole, Fig. 3 being a crosssectional view of the forming member of the mold and the sole blanks in position prior r ificeti t i s patenteaiit. 751922. npiin- 'atidniiied November 6,- 1917.'--Seria1 No. 200,600. I

been subjected to pressure and heat within 7 the mold.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the rubber sole has formed thereon a marginal rib 2, the latter being reinforced by a ply of fabric 3 which preferably extends across the entire upper surface of the sole. The fabric 3 is of strong duck and its purpose is to firmly hold the stitches and to prevent the latter from cutting through the rubber rib. The rib is provided with an inner extension 4, which forms an inclined guide face a for the stitch-locating awl or needle 6, the extension being in effect a shield for the rib and cooperating with the shank of the needle or awl to compel the point of the latter to enter the rib only at its base. The extension 4. may be formed in any suitable manner and of any suitable material. It may be yielding or rigid.

The object of my method is to form the entire sole by a single molding operation in a vulcanizing mold and the problem which I have solved is the resistance of the overhanging wall of the mold cavity to the re'-, moval of the vulcanized sole. When the fabric reinforcement 3 with its rubber backlay it upon the face of the forming memher 7 of a mold, the latter having a cavity corresponding to the reinforced rib 2 and extension 4; I then lay the sole blank 6 7 upon the fabric, and place the upper mold member 8 in the assemblage, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3. Thereupon I apply pressure upon "themold sufficient to depress the fabric and backing of rubber. into the mold cavity until it forms a marsection, the operator avoiding the use of pressure sufficient to cause the fabric to move into contact with the overhanging wall of the cavity. -I then subject the mold to heat which, aided by the pressure upon the rubber in the mold causes a .flow of rubber.

through the interstices of the fabric, Whereby that portion of the mold cavity intermediate wall a) and the fabric is filled with rubber, forming the extension 4. When the vulcanizing operation is completed the elasticity of the extension will permit the ready removal of the sole from the mold.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

The method of forming a vulcanized rubber sole for turned shoes embodying the step of placing an unvulcanized rubber sole blank faced with fabric in register with a mold member having a cavity formed with an inner inclined wall, subjecting the blank to pressure sufficient to depress the fabric and backing of rubber to partially fill the cavity and form onthe sole a marginal fabric-sheathed rib of substantially rectangular cross section, and then heating the mold to cause a flow of the rubber through the interstices of the fabric to fill the cavity.

Signed at New York, New York, this 1st day of November, 1917.

ALBERT A. SOMERVILLE. 

